Improvement in hydraulic mining apparatus



2 Sheets--Sheet 1..

G.-W. ORANSTON; Hydraulic Mining Apparatus.

Patented NOV. 5

N-PETERS, PHOTO-LITNUGRAFHER WAsH\NGToN D 04 2 SheeLs-Sl1eet, 2.

.W/GRANSTON. HydraulicMining-Apparatus. No. 209,661. v Pa ent d-Nov.5,1878.-

K v I Witnesses NPETERS, FHOTO-LVTHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON, n C.

UNITED STATES-j GEORGE W. GRANSTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PATENT OEEIoE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HYDRAULIC MINING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,661, dated November5, 1878; application filed July 25, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. GRANSTON, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, and; State of California, have invented Improvements inApparatus for Hydraulic Mining; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements upon the hydraulic-miningapparatus for which Letters Patent No. 185,216 were issued to me on the12th day of December, 1876.

In my former patent I described the pipeconduction through which theearthy matter was forced by the hydraulic stream as having an enlargedchamber formed in it directly in front of the hydraulic nozzle. I find,however, by experience that the size of this chamber must be made largeror smaller, accordin g to the nozzle employed and the quantity of waterdelivered byit. When a-suffieient head of water can be obtained, as inthe winter sea-. son, I prefer to employ a large nozzle and run themachine to its full capacity; but when the supply of water decreases, asin the summer, a smaller nozzle must be used, and the chamber in theconducting-pipe must be decreased correspondingly. To avoid thenecessity of removing the nozzle-section of the conduct. ing-pipe andsubstituting one with a smaller chamber therefor, where this contingencydoes occur, I have devised a simple arrangement for filling a portion ofthe chamberspace, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

In connection with my improved hydrauliccurrent elevator and mining-sluice, I have also arranged a wasteway, by means of which I can (1,raw off from the flume or'sluiee a portion of the water after it hasbeen utilized for raising the tailings or earthy matter, and conduct'itback into thetail of the machine, where v it can be reused as a diluentfor the new matter which enters the conductor-pipe.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective viewof my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of sluice and tank. Fig. 3is a sectional view of ring-joint i and chamber I Fig. 4, a detail ofthe swivel or ring joint.

Let A represent the excavation from which the auriferous material is tobe raised. 13 is the upright spout, through which the material is forcedby the current. 0 is the ground-section inside of the excavation. D isthe pipe which leads from the elevated reservoir or sourceofwater-supply. E is the nozzle. F is the tail-section. Gis thereceiving-box. H is the sluice or flume at the upper end of the. spoutB, into which the material is discharged, all arranged as described inmy former patent.

It frequentlybecomes necessary to shift the position of the machine inthe excavation, and to allow me todo so without detaching the pipe D,which conducts the water from the elevated reservoir, I make a ringjointor swivel-coupling at i, (see Fig. 4,) which permits me to adjust themachine to any desired position about the vertical center of the joint.

The ground-section G is, made with an enlarged chamber, I, just in frontof the nozzle, as described in my former patent. In order to reduce thesize of this chamber when a smaller nozzle is used, I secure a block, J,in the chamber, just in front ofthe nozzle. This block is fitted to theupper half of'the section in the chamber, and can be made of any desiredsize, according to the size of chamber or throat it is desired toprovide. This block diminishes the size of the passage, so that a lessquantity of water will have sufficient force by the resultingconcentration to carry the ma- .terial up through the spout.

Alongside of the sluice or flume H, I construct a box or tank, K, theends'of which are as high as the flume. 1 then cut away that portion ofthe side of the flume which is next to the box, and secure wires 1 lhorizontally, at ashort distance apart, across the opening. Outside ofthese wires, and next to the side of the flume, I construct a verticalsliding gate, M, which forms theside of the box. The opposite side, N,of the box K, I make half as high as the ends, and inside this half sideI arrange another vertically-sliding gate, 0. I also make an opening inthe lower part of one end of the box, which can be closed by a slidinggate or valve, P, as represented in Fig. 1.

When the machine is in operation the material which enters the flumefrom the spout B will immediately begin to settle to the bottom, leavingthe surface-water in a degree ,by raising the screws.

over into the tank will settle to its bottom,

while the clear surface-water is skimmed off by overflow on the outsideof the tank, and

will be carried by a dug-out channel, P, back into the excavation andinto the tail of the machine, where it can be again used to carry up thenew material which enters the spout. When a sufficient quantity of heaiy material has accumulated in the tank K, I open the end gate or valve,P, and allow it to wash out. I thus utilize a portion of the water afterit has once passed through the spout.

. By these improvements I render my improved hydraulic-eurrentearth-elevator and mining-sluice much more convenient and useful forutilizing the water and saving the gold contained in the materialoperated on.

I do not design the joint to be flexible in any instance while themachine is in operation; but for the greater convenience of setting themachine in difi'erent localities, and for adj usting and connecting thenozzle-pipe with the hydraulic pipe in the difi'erent positions andangles in which it is required, I find it convenient to loosen the upperflange of the joint The hydraulic pipe is then disconnected, and I movethe machine to the required position. After it is set the joint isturned so as to connect at its exterior with the hydraulic pipe. Theloose flange is then screwed down solid and tight, and the joint is notdesigned to be moved again until the machine is again moved and reset.The object *c'ial settling-tank in the above specification, I ,1

do not desire to confine myself to this particudar means for clearingthe water, the main l A ",gpint being to clear it from the sand andsedi-y cut with which it is loaded, so that the com-l @aratively clearwater may be used over againl} in the claim for mining purposes. It willl, readily be seen that there will be a surplus of Lwater at the outlet,because the water which is brought to the nozzle under pressure willtake into my apparatus a quantity of Water and material, carrying it upand out through the discharge, as has been before described.

pnly a part of this water is needed after this point is reached, and ifit can be cleared of the out, it may be carried directly back into theeconomy and saving of expense. Having thus described my invention, whatIclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isa j l 1. In ahydraulic earth-elevator, the pipe D, provided with a joint at t, incombination with the ground-section G and spout B, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

2. Inahydraulic earth-elevator, the groundsection 0, provided with thechamber I and block J in the upper part of said chamber, for diminishingthe area thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a hydraulic-mining apparatus, the settling-tank K, having theoverflow-gates M and O, and the gate P, in combination with the returnchannel or spout P, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

GEORGE W. GRANSTON.

Witnesses:

Gno. H. STRONG,

FRANK A. BROOKS.

{claim, to be used over again, with a great principal part of thesediment, sand, gravel, 1 and other substances which have been brought

